


A Nation Reborn

by mish_mish



Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game), The Purge (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Badass Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Blood and Violence, Everyone Needs A Hug, Interactive, M/M, Pacifist Markus (Detroit: Become Human), Possible Character Death, Post-Android Revolution (Detroit: Become Human), Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2019-02-03
Packaged: 2019-06-23 11:19:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15605148
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mish_mish/pseuds/mish_mish
Summary: The New Founders of America invite you to celebrate your annual right to Purge in Detroit!In the United States, an annual 12-hour Purge is coming. The night that has sanctioned by the government, wherein all crimes that occur during that time are ignored and can be committed without fear of punishment, in an effort to ensure that the crime rate stays below 15 percent for the rest of the year.After the androids went through a peaceful revolution in Detroit and achieved the the legalization of their rights, the government suffered losses, which led to another decline in the economy. The New Founding Fathers came to a compromise, and now androids can also take part in the Purge. They can either release their beast, or be somebody’s prey.





	1. Markus

**Author's Note:**

> this is an interactive fic, which means that i need your answer and your choice to continue this story.

[ ](https://ibb.co/e8XbBK)

* * *

##  **America. 2039.**  

**Androids have achieved recognition and live in full peace with people. Unemployment in the country is below 15%. From the moment of the revolution in Detroit, crime is once again minimal. The Purge, approved in 2035 by the government and the New Founding Fathers, now extends to androids.**

 

****

**March 21 - 3:34 PM**

****

**3 hours 26 minutes until the start of the annual Purge.**

 

"This decision was taken unanimously, both by the people and the government," President Warren is broadcasting from the screens. "This regime was voted into office five years ago. And the first order of business was to deal with the epidemic of crime that was plaguing this nation. The answer was the Purge."

Christina Warren continues to speak, standing on the background of American flags, surrounded by reporters. Her blonde hair is perfectly laid and a white suit without a single fold. Her eyes run along the lines of the teleprompter almost imperceptibly for the naked eye. She says the same thing for five years, and if earlier, before the revolution, Markus was not particularly interested, now he scornfully scowls and turns off the TV. Before the deviation, before the revolution and recognition of androids as equal citizens of America, the existence of such a phenomenon as the Purge did not particularly disturb the androids. Of course, this night they could also be maimed and smashed, but there was no interest in it for people when there was an opportunity to kill another living person. Now everything will be different.

Since the revolution, a year has passed, the excitement has subsided, and the androids even managed to find a common language with the government. For androids, jobs were allocated, repair stations were equipped and they even got one of the old abandoned districts of Detroit, which later became known as the "New Jericho". In return, like all full-fledged Americans, androids had to pay taxes in time, and to be more loyal to the New Founding Fathers.

The ideal country, as it should be. Only Markus meets on the streets gloomy looks of people in their direction. The closer the Purge is, the sharper the grimaces of anger and disgust were displayed on the faces of the townspeople.

Markus is not an idiot, he is the prototype of a new generation of androids and knows what all these looks are. He understands what it means. Opponents of the assertion of androids rights were quite a few in the first days after the end of the revolution, even though all rallies were going on as peacefully as possible. After all they calmed down, but now, the closer the Purge, the less people hide their hatred. Not only for androids, but for their own people too.

This is not Markus' first Purge, but this one will be the hardest, given that it is he the main person of the revolution, and that someone will try to destroy him in the most sophisticated way.

"We are ready," North's voice from the side of the door draws his attention, and Markus nods to her. "The main gate is barricaded. Clive drove up two vans here. He and Tim are now reinforcing them. Are you sure that just sitting here is the right decision?"

"More than that," Markus says, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his fingers. The gesture is more like a habit inherited from Carl. 

Markus knows that there is no need to participate in this chaos, that this will have negative consequences. 

"This regime is nothing more than a political tool; we do not need to participate in it."

Markus does not say that, most likely, the hunt will first start on androids, because they took jobs from other Native Americans, because they could become something more than a slave, because they deprived people of the possibility of beating androids. Markus understands this, and North also understands this. Everyone understands this.

"Josh has not returned yet?" Markus asks, rising from the table and walking along the room, closer to the girl.

"The deal is not over yet. He said he would let me know when he would return."

"Three hours left before the start, let him hurry. It will be very unpleasant if he gets stuck in the city when a siren sounds."

North nods and contacts Josh on a mental connection. 

Josh on the other side of Detroit, exchanges weapons for the defense of Jericho, and although Markus is against using firearms this night, they need to protect their home from humans. He does not intend to take part in the Purge, but he can not say about other androids, and this also adds to the list of problems.

"Everything will be fine," observing his frowning expression, pronounces North and touches his shoulder. "It will only last 12 hours. We were in a worse situation."

"Yes, you are right about that." Markus smiles at her falsely and leaves the room, suddenly feeling the need to check everything himself.

A short beep snaps in the head, and Markus does not tighten to accept the incoming call. Connor. Today they adjusted their connection to the ideal, and Connor is now almost always connected, however, like North, Josh and Simon.

_Are you in Jericho?_

Connor's voice is always smooth and balanced. Now with his equanimity he balances the worried Markus. This night they spend separately, and Markus not be happy about it. He can not tell Connor anything about this, because he is free to do whatever he wants. And at the moment he considers it necessary to be next to Hank.

**_Yes. I checking that everything is ready. Are you already with the lieutenant?_ **

_No, I'm still at Lafayette Park._

Markus stops, looks over his shoulder at the gate that has not yet closed, and with a slight sigh goes to the exit. Lafayette Park is two blocks from here, and Connor is clearly hinting at the meeting, although he does not say so. Markus understands this: the Purge is a wild and rampant phenomenon, and people can reveal themselves in it in the most unpleasant way. This can be the last night for anyone.

Markus notices Connor from afar. He stands beside the bulletin board that is written with thanks to the Founding Fathers and slogans in support of the Purge. Connor reads the inscriptions, and the spring breeze ruffles the collar of his jacket, blows a disobedient curl from his forehead.

"How long have you been here?"

Markus approaches him closer and suppresses the desire to disrupt several motley leaflets about the call to be purified this night.

"Not so long that you begin to worry about it," the light half-smile on his lips is no longer as mechanical as in the first weeks of deviation. "Is everyone well prepared in Jericho?"

Markus nods; there is this strange desire to put his palm on Connor's back to feel the circulation of the thirium over his body. He does not do this, but the desire does not disappear, compulsively punching his concentration.

They began to prepare for two days ago; they stocked up with a thirium and universal biocomponents, they enclosed Jericho from the outside world with steel plates and barbed wire, they trimmed the vans with bulletproof linings and, of course, they brought weapons.

"If Jericho is attacked, we will be able to defend it. How about you?"

Connor lowers his head a little, lingers with an answer, but Markus already knows that everything is fine. There is no need to worry about RK800, because Connor shooting faster than any human.

"Hank said we'll patrol the streets."

Markus frowns slightly; as far as he knows, the police do not interfere in the events of the Purge. The police department, like all emergency services, will be unavailable until seven in the morning. 

Connor understands his confusion and turns to him.

"Not as part of the police, but as citizens. If someone needs help, we will provide it to them. It is documented that the majority of victims in the Purge are from poor areas. These are innocent people who can not stand up for themselves. Hank believes that."

"Poor areas are the most dangerous." Markus interrupts him and looks anxiously. Poor areas are almost the first target. All actions will start from there, because it is here that citizens can not afford to buy protection, it is here that the participants are the most bloodthirsty.

Connor does not have to do this; he should not risk his life this night to save people who are unlikely to be grateful for it. He does not have to, but he will do it anyway.

"It's no more dangerous than any areas in Detroit this night," he answers with a slight smile that full of understanding and in some way calm. "Everything will be fine."

Markus nods. He does not want to argue and does not even try.

_**Be careful, okay?** _

Connor nods at the message sent through the connection and looks down at his hands. He pulls a coin out of his pocket. His confidence that this night will be successful for them fluctuates by 40 percent, and Connor believes that his calculations to some extent can converge with Markus's calculations, because they are both looks worried.

"Will you have time to get back to Hank before the Purge begins? Many roads have already been blocked."

Markus looks back toward Detroit's main highway and calms down a bit when Connor nods to him.

"I'll be in time," He pauses and, frowning slightly, as if considering something, looks at his coin. "If something happens in Jericho, you'll tell me about it, do not you?"

Markus feels the tension in this conversation, in the air that surrounds them. He is not sure that he may have time to contact Connor if something serious happens in Jericho. He is not sure that he wants Connor to come and risk his life. He is not sure that he can forgive himself if something happens to RK800, but he nods anyway, demanding the same thing.

"Will you contact me if your patrol with Hank along the streets of Detroit ends in trouble?"

Connor nods, but says that he can take care of himself. Markus understands this, but adds that there is no need to deal with everything alone.

They say goodbye reluctantly; no one wants to face what that a night of purification will brings to them, but they have no other options and, therefore, they diverge in different directions.

[ ](https://ibb.co/gXN9WK)

* * *

_****_

**6:21 PM**

****

**39 minutes until the start of the Annual Purge.**

At the vast hall of the main building in Jericho gathered at least three dozen androids. Not everyone wanted to spend the night in seclusion, preferring a company of friends. Markus looks at them, leaning his shoulder against the door jamb. He hears scraps of conversations and nervous whispers from everywhere. He looks at androids' white plastic hands, touches one another in support. Everyone is waiting for the start of the Purge with anxiety, and Markus wants to somehow calm their excitement.

The simple "everything will be okay" is clearly not enough, it seems ridiculous, and because RK200 tries to find words in his memory cells that will fit better. This is easy for him; he manages to put words into sentences so skillfully that everyone gets his monologues.

The TVs are working in the hall, everyone is waiting for the beginning of the siren, and for now, instead of the government blue screen with the coat of arms, they show the news. President Warren again speaks of the importance of the Purge for the country, expressing gratitude to the New Founding Fathers. Her false worried look is annoying, and Markus steps forward.

"There will be a lot of victims today: people, androids," he begins softly, attracting the attention of only those who are nearby. "But we will not let this night break us."

Markus slowly moves between the androids, feel their eyes on him. They are watched him, listening to his every word, because they are frightened, because they do not know what to expect. Support in Markus' words is always filling them with more hope, more confidence, and more faith.

"I can not forbid you to do anything. I have no right to keep you here. You are free." Markus stops next to North, puts his hand on her shoulder and continues. "You are free to do what you want. You are free to participate in the Purge; the government gave you this right."

Markus pauses for the rest of the androids to understand his words, to analyze it. They have a choice; they can do what they want. But they must understand what they are going to do. The Purge is political tool. How many children were killed in the last night of purification?

Markus knows this. Carl always treated this new privilege, sanctioned by the government, as a poison. The government gives people a purge of cruelty and anger, which is only an illusion that evaporates from them after a month. Markus does not want this.

"We have achieved recognition by peaceful means, so do not start this new life with cruelty."

Approval in the eyes of his people is the best reward for Markus. His confidence is strong that most androids do not come out this night to the streets of Detroit, but he knows that there will be those who want to participate. North is one of the willing. She does not incite anyone to do just that, but in her look you can clearly see this thirst for revenge. Markus does not blame her, he knows that she has enough reason for such thoughts and feelings, but he knows that without his approval, she will not leave the walls of Jericho.

"There are many opponents of legalization of our rights and people who are dissatisfied with our freedom. Them always been a lot, but today them can be even more. We must be prepared for the attack on the New Jericho today, and we will have to defend it. In spite of everything, we will survive this night."

A quiet murmur goes through the crowd, when Markus pauses. North smiles approvingly at him and glances at the watch. **6:47 PM**. A few minutes before the Purge.

_It is very inspiring speech._

Markus smiles at the sound of a familiar voice in his head. Connor does not sound mocking; he seems to be really impressed.

_**I hope that it is not only for you. You are already in place? How's the lieutenant?** _

By a brief silence, it's easy to guess that with Hank Anderson everything is not as simple as one can imagine. Markus would like to know more about him. He misses Carl and his advice, and he thinks, even if Hank radically different from Carl, his advice and view at the world are also exciting.

_I think he's fine. A bit more harsh than usual, but this is due to the fact that today is the night where he will have to look at how people create excesses, and not be able to do something about it._

Markus understands this; Hank worked in the police department for enough time to get a sense of justice absorbed into his veins. People like him will never accept such rules.

_**If you…** _

To finish the conversation Markus does not have time, interrupted by sharp change of a picture on TV-screens and a prolonged mechanical signal. 19:00. On a bright blue screen with a coat of arms appear letters, and a sharp squeaking sound ends in a woman's voice.

 

**This is not a test.**

****

**This is your Emergency Broadcast System announcing the commencement of The Annual Purge sanctioned by the US Government.**

**Weapons of Class 4 and lower have been authorized for use during the Purge. All other weapons are restricted.**

**Government officials of ranking 10 have been granted immunity from the Purge and shall not be harmed.**

**Commencing at the siren, any and all crime, including murder, will be legal for 12 continuous hours.**

**Police, fire and emergency medical services will be unavailable until tomorrow morning at 7:00 a.m. when the Purge concludes.**

**For the first time in history, the right to judge is granted to androids. No citizen of the country will be deprived of the opportunity to take part in the Purge.**

**Blessed be our New Founding Fathers, and America, a nation reborn.**

**May God be with you all.**

 

A woman's voice replaces the sound of a siren, and Markus feels like a ball of nascent fear is twisting inside. He catches North's worried look and feels Simon's arm on his shoulder.

_It started._

Connor speaks too softly in his right ear, when the siren stops after five heavy beeps.

**_Be careful._ **

The tension after the end of the conversation does not disappear anywhere, it becomes even more tangible. Markus sees how the androids whisper frightened when shots are heard from the street. He immediately walks closer to Simon and is interested in how things are with the main gate and exhales lightly when he receives a full report. Everything is all right.

"What about the rest of us? Those who are beyond Jericho? Have you contacted them?" they hastily leave the hall and head towards the main gate to scout the situation.

"Kara and Alice are now in East English Village, with Luther. They are on constant communication," says North. "Robert and Marta are five blocks from us, in the shelter."

She takes a short pause and slightly presses her lips, clearly not wanting to say unpleasant news.

"North, what's wrong?"

"Josh has not returned yet, his taxi has died down and he's still in the center," she says reluctantly, as if feeling guilty for the fact that a friend never got to them.

"He is OK? No one has attacked him yet?"

Markus does not expect a response from North, he contacts Josh himself and exhales a little with relief, when he hears his friend's slightly embarrassed, but still emotion-filled laughter.

**I have no idea how it happened, honestly. This taxi just braked in the middle of the road.**

He's chattering excitedly, and Markus even lets himself smile.

_**Are you safe?** _

**Yes. It's Detroit, I'll find where to hide.**

Josh does not seem scared, and it soothes Markus.

**_We will come for you. You are in the center, but you can not stay there._**  

The leader of the deviants finds the coordinates on the map.

**Of course, I would not like to use this in the case, but I have a bag full of weapons, so I think I can manage it somehow before your arrival.**

They break off the connection, and Markus looks reproachfully at North: they should not have allowed this. 

"Simon and I will go. We need you here," North shakes her head when Markus only wants to approach the van.

The leader of the deviants does not like this; he looks at North frowningly and does not accept her refusal. How can he leave a friend in trouble and sit out here? How can he let them go alone to where they can not return?

"I'm coming, North."

"Markus," she hissed indignantly. "There must be someone here, if Jericho will be attacked. And you should be intact if the attack on the van." 

She sounds confident, and Markus looks over her shoulder at Simon, who just shrugs.

Sit in Jericho under the pretext that there must be someone here to defend it if it will be attacked, but blame himself for the death of friends if they do not return.

Or leave, pull Josh out of the hell and return to Jericho. And if they are all lucky, no one will attack their home, because they have strengthened it well.

## >> stay in Jericho  
>> go with North to save Josh


	2. The Purge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, for the last chapter most of you have chosen to "go to save Josh", so in the next chapter we'll go and save josh, but now we go to see what happens to Connor.

[ ](https://ibb.co/e0OCfp)

**__**

**_21 March. 7:21 PM_ **

__

**_Purge Night_ **

**  
**

In Hank's house the air is filled with the smell of alcohol, gunpowder and a cleaner. Outside the house there are sounds of shots and screams of people, but the only thing that Connor can do is wait.

From the living room is heard the voice of the reporter from the 14th Channel, who leads nightly news and informs about the situation in the city center. Connor and Hank are sitting in the kitchen, and the perfectly tuned RK800's sound processor catches every hesitation in the speaker's voice, when he talks about the riots in Detroit.

"...we can see how a group of twenty people are moving along Woodward Avenue from Campus Martius Park," he says, and Connor turns slightly to the door to the living room, listening. "It seems that they drove their prey into a trap, and now we will witness how the first execution takes place. The Purge has just begun, and it’s first..."

"I can not stand these," Hank says, nodding casually toward the TV. "Fanatics."

Connor does not answer him, believing that it would be more prudent not to add anything.

After the commencement everything changed; sensations, the atmosphere in the room, the silence in the street. Even Hank changed: the facial features became sharper, the beard seemed to grow gray even more, and his hands trembled for a moment. Until he began to lay out his weapons on the table.

Connor watches him silently; for how he disassembles Magnum, how he cleans the bullet channel, how he counts the bullets in the magazine. Next to Magnum, a revolver and a rifle lay on the table. The Connor's gun in the shoulder holster under his jacket, and the android does not consider it necessary to get it out of there. The gun is only for protection, because he does not intend to Purging.

"Can I ask you a question, Hank?"

"You already asked." Anderson looks sideways and makes a gesture with his hand, supposedly to let Connor continue.

"Why are you doing this? Why do not you just stay at home waiting for the end of the Purge?"

The question for Connor does not seem out of place, and so he waits patiently when the lieutenant decides to respond.

"This is my fifth Purge, son," said Hank, putting off the already prepared Magnum and reclining on the chair. "I witnessed how this mess began. People are not saints, you know, and to look at the animals in which they are turning this night, when nothing restrains them, at least, it is unpleasant to me as a person."

He would like a drink. Hank would want to get drunk and forget himself this night, but he can not. Sumo barks at every shot outside the window, which in turn distracts him from his sleep. Like this fucking sense of justice.

"The Founding Fathers convince us that if we kill, then we will be purified. Purifying violence. As if the death of some homeless would make me a better person. Everyone knows that this is only an excuse to save money."

Hank pauses for a moment, rises from the table and nods to Connor so that he follows him. He throws weapons into a sports bag, which he tosses into the hands of the android. The Purge has come, and they have already lingered within the house.

Detroit seems to be transforming this night, revealing itself from such a side, with which it would be better not to see it. The streets are empty, but the feeling that they are filled with rot does not disappear. Since the siren sounded, everything has changed; people, positions, concepts of morality. Citizens go out on their streets, armed and angry, ready to free their beast. Understanding that they will not be punished for their crimes liberates them.  


Hank does not live in the best area in the city, but they do not meet any scumbags while they go to the off-road vehicle. It's a little puzzling to Connor to see another car instead of the usual one, but he understands Hank's reason for using another car tonight.

"You're not on your car?"

"I somehow went to one of those patrols on my car," Hank says, shrugging his shoulders. "It took me almost two weeks to fix it."

Now in front of them is Gelendvagen '83 release; old, shabby in places, but still with a few fortified with bulletproof plates. It looks reliable; Connor's scan reveals only minor breakdowns that do not affect the engine of the car or its ability on long trips.

Their street is empty; most citizens prefer not to take part at the Purge and just sit in the house, but every year the number of participants grows. Now there is nobody on this street, except for them, but on the next street, which is behind the turn, there are shouts and rumbling music. Maybe a noisy company of young guys kills someone or maybe just dancing to the rhythms of music, but neither Hank nor Connor wants to find out.

"Get in the car," Hank's tone does not object, but Connor does not argue, nodding obediently and sitting down on the passenger seat.

The lieutenant follows his example and starts the motor, wanting to leave as soon as possible, because the longer he is in his area, on his street, the stronger the desire to get drunk. Connor tightens the tight cloth of the bag with the weapon that he holds on his knees and the algorithms calculate that a noisy company will appear at the intersection in 9 minutes and 36 seconds. Perhaps they should quickly turn to another street.

The measured rumble of the engine of their off-road vehicle gives a vibration to Connor's systems, and its flashing lights brighten up their way to the road.

The first thing they do is go to Mexicantown, southwest of Detroit, and Hank keeps the speed low so as not to attract undesirable attention and fully view the events on the streets of his city.

"I'm not a boy anymore, Connor," Hank begins, looking away from the alleyway in which the man's killing is taking place. "There was a lot of shit in this world, but what happens in the last five years is ..."

He pauses and stares ahead, while Connor just turns to his window. He understands what the lieutenant wants to say, and, perhaps, he would not care much earlier, but now he is. Since the time when he ceased to be a soulless machine, for Connor much has changed and attitude to human life, too, to life in general. What is happening now is understandable, but it does not erase the fact that it is terrible.

"Have you ever taken part in the Purge?"

"What'd you think? Could I?" Hank says with a chuckle, and this answer puzzles Connor a little. He could confidently say that Lieutenant Anderson never killed anyone intentionally to release aggression, but now after this answer this confidence drops to nine and a half percent.  
  


[ ](https://ibb.co/mgA00p)

**__**

**_7:45 PM_ **

**_Purge Night_ **

**  
**

They turn to the East Edsel Ford Freeway and pass through the North End. Almost on every street of this area something happens; here, on the balconies, teenagers have parties with bright garlands and alcohol spilling onto the asphalt. In another street on the roofs are snipers with rifles. They are amateurs and former military, eager to relieve tension and release their beast.

At the next turn, Hank drive on to the Eastern Grand Boulevard, hoping to finally leave this area, where suddenly a lot of people Purging. It seems that this street is full of life; the lights are shining, the fire is burning, the people in masks are walking along the broken glass of the windows. They do not have cars, only motorcycles, and when they notice Gelendvagen, they are satisfied with hooting. Hank does not react at all, presses the gas pedal and changes the speed in the gearbox. He does not rush away, but he goes all as slowly. They just need to drive this street; there is no reason to stop.

Connor watching with interest what is going to happen now, not feeling particularly fear, but the tension is still squeezes his biocomponents. These people are dangerous. A man in a bull mask steps towards them, brandishing an ax. On his shirt there are still wet drops of blood, on his hands there are traces of nails, and disheveled blond hair, like a halo above his head in the light of projectors, is also a little scarlet because of blood.

The girl steps behind the guy in the bull mask. She also steps closer to the car, boldly throws up a free hand under her head and spins around its axis, like a ballerina statuette in old caskets. Her ivory dress is tangled in her legs, exposing her ankles, soiled in the mud. Her dress is also stained with blood; on her thighs maroon prints of her hands, as if she wiped her hands on a light cotton cloth after she cold-bloodedly killed someone. Connor looks at her and sees all the evidence, even the last part of her crime. One of her friends holds the victim by the throat and shoulders, and the girl repeatedly brings a knife over someone's chest. _7 stab wounds._

The girl approaches closer, swaying to the music that comes from their music speakers. She wears the mask of the heroine of the 1930s cartoons about Betty Boop; with large eyes, short curls on the edge of the mask and neat lips in the form of a bow.

"Damn..." Hank pulls out his Magnum, and Connor just watches the girl. She already almost came close to their car, already pulling her hands and gliding over the glass with bloody fingers. The blood on them almost dried up, but the stains still remain, and Connor watches them, pondering over whose this blood was.

The guy with the ax walks around the car from behind and, even if Hank is still riding at low speed, he does not hurry to approach. They seem to play, pumping the situation, and their friends join them, slowly approaching and clamping the car into the ring. The girl with the Betty Boop mask knocks her fingers on the glass and, when Connor turns to her, she laughs. Behind the mask smile is not visible, but her hysterical laughter is heard when she pulls her hand toward her face and touches her temple with her fingers. She strikes her right temple a few times with her fingernail and draws a small circle on it. _The LED that she sees on Connor's right temple._

"Purge!" she says with Betty Boop's lips. "Purify yourself!"

Connor turns away from her, frowns a little and does not want to look anymore. They have nothing to do here, and Hank finally pushes the pedal to the floor and leaves the company behind.

People in masks do not shout to them, they just look silently, chuckling slightly.

 

"Are you okay?" The lieutenant throws a quick glance at Connor and is again concentrated on the road. "Maybe they were on drugs. There are such psychos. Who knows how many people they killed already?"

"Four," quickly pronounces android.

It was not difficult to calculate it. They were like an open book, they did not even want to hide anything, and the evidence was enough to reach such a conclusion, but it does not concern Connor. Here in the North End the streets are full of people, for every turn someone is Purging, people scream with pain and ask for help. He and Hank must be this help, but they have not helped anyone. They could save that man in the alley on Piquette  Street. They could help the young couple who were burned by flamethrowers a couple of blocks behind. They did not do anything.

"Why did not we help those people? Is not this what we should do?"

Hank brakes the car, turns the headlights off and turns to Connor. He looks with a long tired look, sighs and holds his hand over his beard.

"This is your first Purge, kid?"

The question is somewhat discouraging. Connor is a prototype of new models of androids, he was created two and a half years ago, but only two years and one month were put into exploitation. By any measure, he is still too young, but, nevertheless, he knows about the Purge.

"No, the second one," he does not say it with pride, but more with humility. "Last year I was leading the case of a deviant who killed his master on the Purge. He had no right to do this. The androids were not allowed to harm their owners, even on the Purge. So the case was..."

"I did not ask that, Connor," Hank interrupts him and nods to the side where the fire is burning in the distance. "Did you see everything that was happening on the streets after commencement?

"No."

Hank nods, taps his fingers on the steering wheel and sighs softly.

 "We can not help everyone," he begins. "We can not help those who are already almost dead. We can not help those who were captured by any gang. If there are more than four people, we go by. Our lives are also worth something. So we do not save everyone. Clear?"

"Yes, crystal clear," the android nods.

Such a position is reasonable, and now Connor shares it; there are those to whom they can help, and there are others for whom they can not do anything. This is a correct and safe position for all.

When Hank starts the engine again, Connor thinks about contacting Markus and asking him how the first hour of the Purge passes in Jericho. He hopes that nothing serious has happened to them, because if it had happened, Markus would have told him about it.

With these thoughts, Connor misses the moment when Hank brakes at a crossroads and looks steadily ahead. Finding the reason why Anderson stopped is easy - it's a man towering over three weeping people. Two more are lying flattened on the asphalt, blood with small pieces of brain tissue spreading hot stream along the ground. Connor again looks at the participant of the Purge and understands that this is not a human, but an android. His LED is feverishly flashing red on his temple.

Connor unfastens the seat belt and, as he reaches for the door handle, he feels Hank's hand on his shoulder.

"Where are you going?" his voice is a little rough, but the note of fatigue can be discerned.

"We can help these people."

Hank sighs, rubs the bridge of his nose with his fingers and looks again at the robot, who is Purging this night. Hank nods: they can help, no doubt. They can save these three young women, it's their bloody specialty to catch crazy androids that have lost their mind, but Hank still does not hurry to leave the car.

"This android has a shotgun in his hand, Connor," he says slowly, nodding at the weapon.

This is the Purge. Everyone has already felt the impunity of their actions, and no one will think about whether to pull the trigger or not. Hank sees this kind of thing not for the first time, and often here it can hardly be helped. He would like to help, even he would come out to lead these negotiations, but he sees the risks too well.

"Sit in the car, if you do not want to finish like the other two."

Connor frowns at this, but he does not let go of the door handle, he's too stubborn.

"It contradicts..."

"Your rules? Your program?" 

"Your words, Hank."

Connor thinks that this can be a victory, and the lieutenant will now stop arguing, because he himself wants to help these women. Connor heard how the android reloads his weapons, and his victims starts to whine.

"These people need help. I can talk to a deviant, I..."

"What is the probability of the failure of this mission?"

Not so much high, as in any other task with an armed android.

68 percent of the fact that the outcome may be unsuccessful, but there is still a chance of success, even if it's only 29 percent. The rest are neutral events, which can not be counted for success. Everything will depend only on Connor, on the deviant himself and, maybe, very little on his victims.

"He is not himself, and ..."

A shot and a cry of terror are heard all over the street. The female body falls on the asphalt, like a shapeless doll, and the young girl standing next to her on her knees howls, begging for help.

22% that this conversation will end with success.

"Please, please, don’t! Somebody, help! "

## >> intervene and try to talk to android  
>> do nothing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> do not forget to make a choice, otherwise I can not continue to write!  
> every choice you make will affect the characters, so be careful! love you!


	3. Downtown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a pretty hard time now, but I hope that I will have time to update this story. Thank you for waiting for the update!

****

**March 21 - 7:13 PM**

****

**Purge Night**

Outside of New Jericho heard shots and screams of people.

Markus frowns at his companions, tries another attempt to reach the handle of the car door and apparently does not intend to retreat. The dilemma of choice almost breaks him, because he does not want to leave a friend in danger.

"You can not leave Jericho without a cover," she says quickly. "Yes, they will be able to repel the attack, but the percentage of that they finish without losses, is much higher if you are here!"

"I can..." Simon pauses, partly because he's being interrupted, and partly because of the look that North gives him.

"Markus, can I have you for a minute?" Android model AJ700, Patricia, approaches to them. "Something strange is happening at the North Gate."

"See!" North says in confirmation, nodding to Simon to get into the van. "Be here, and we'll found Josh."

Markus clenches his teeth, mechanical nerves tense under synthetic skin and he calculates the success of this trip. 68 percent. Quite a good option, but only approximate.

"I told you I'd go. It's not discussed." he says, a little rougher than usual, already clearly tired of wrangling. "Simon, find out what's up with the North Gate. North, I'll drive."

She growls irritably, but obediently bypasses the van, climbing into the passenger seat. Simon looks back at her with a light anxiety, going up to Markus and smiling weakly at him.

"Drive down Chrysler Freeway. At Fisher Freeway it’s too dangerous now," he says. "Find Josh and come back, okay?"

"It can not be otherwise," Markus smiles encouragingly at him. "If something serious happens, let me know."

Simon nods and, before Markus manages to get into the van, pulls him into a quick hug.

"Keep in touch," Simon speaks briefly, trying not to detain Markus, but adding on their connection:

**"Don't let her go wild."**

Markus nods slightly, checking to see if their guns are loaded. He does not need an explanation of what Simon is talking about. It's not difficult to guess, given that he knows how North treats people. Now their task is to save Josh, if necessary, to fight off those who decide to attack them.

When the van leaves Jericho, Simon immediately turns to Patricia, who patiently waits for him around the corner. The North Gate is located on the side of the park and it is securely strengthened. So, no matter what problem the AJ700 says, there can be no doubt that they will resolve it.

 

 

An anxious feeling does not let go of Markus, as does the feeling that he should have stayed in Jericho. He quickly tries to get rid of this feeling, realizing that, even if he remained, this sensation of itch would not disappear; he had to go for Josh. He looks back at Jericho and hopes that if they are lucky and they return, the android's shelter will be just as impregnable. 

"It was a rash decision!" the fury in North's voice is clear, concentrated, and capable of burns holes with one drop of its own. But it only slowly burns out Markus’ patience. "You should have stayed in Jericho!"

"North," he says in an even voice, not turning to her, but watching the road.

"Simon and I would have done it!" She continues, getting comfortable in the seat and pulling out her gun. "You do not need to risk your life so recklessly, especially on this night, when everyone can..."

"North," Markus gazes at her, clearly hinting that she should stop such conversations. "Everything will be fine. We'll pull out Josh and go back to Jericho."

She clicks her tongue and turns away to her window, obviously not sharing his opinion and staying with her. But Markus understands that she is glad that he is here; they led the revolution shoulder to shoulder and, no doubt, will cope with this ride to the central district of the city.

The tension in the air still does not drop, as if electrifying even more with every minute, and Markus realizes that it not only from the silence of North, but also from everything that he sees this night. In their quiet area on the Purge Night, there is almost no traffic on the streets; androids that wanted to participate in the night of purification, on their streets they preferred not to appear, confining themselves to either the city center or its outskirts. Markus does not know for sure, and does not want to know, given that his attitude to their decision is negative. Of course, he did not say anything against them when they approached him with this news before commencement, but could not approve such a decision.

Now, driving through Chrysler freeway to the central district, Markus is once again convinced that his position is correct. From this highway an excellent view of the riots in the city; people shoot each other, beat each other to death with baseball bats, rob shops. They turn to monsters, and Markus for the first time thinks about the fact that, maybe, they did not deserve their peaceful revolution. It might have been worthwhile to detonate a bomb and rid at least half of Detroit from such monsters. 

Thought fleeting and unpleasant for Markus. He thinks about those people who are now sitting in their homes, press their children to themselves, and hope that they can survive this Purge. These people are the victims. And so Markus squeezes the gas pedal a little harder, pleased that his doubts have erased and again the look is extremely clear.

****

**7:35 PM**

****

**Purge Night**

Driving along Midtown and its half-empty streets, Markus slightly slows down, peering into the alleyways. There is no people here who purge with fun and music, like on other streets. There are people who calmly deprive others of their lives.

This night there is a group of three men who are already slightly tipsy, but still with a clear gaze, who is hunting here today. They, unlike most of those who purging, are killed without masks, with heavy faces and sharpened machetes. As a trophy of this night, they carry with them a thirium pumps, torn from the chest of three androids. They walk unhurriedly; keep the regulators by the pipes and wires and blue blood wipe about their soiled aprons. They are obviously satisfied with the work done and no longer pay attention to the body with a ripped sternum and a broken frame.

Markus brakes the van and does not let himself get lost by force of will, because what he sees is probably the worst thing he's seen this night. Did he know someone whose "heart" is now hanging in the hands of the participants of the Purge? Were they from Jericho? Were they the usual home androids who could not stand up for themselves? Is there one among these three pumps that belongs to Josh? Or to Connor?

"Markus." North touches his shoulder and the obsession falls, letting him know that his stress level has risen by ten percent.

Maybe North did not see these men - they were already out of the corner, - but Markus is even grateful for it, because he could hardly have held her if he could hardly restrain himself. An irresistible desire to contact Simon immediately to find out if everything is all right in Jericho. He wants to contact Josh immediately to make sure that he is still alive and waiting for them. And, maybe, an even stronger desire to contact Connor and not interrupt it for a second, because the image of the thirium regulators dangling in the hands of a man does not disappear, and RK800 is now on the most dangerous streets of Detroit. 

"Let's go," North again wedges into his thoughts, and Markus is grateful to her. Now there is no time to indulge in these feelings, now he need a more sharp mind, not dulled by anxieties and fears. "What happened?"

"A pair of dead androids," Markus tells her not the whole truth, keeping silent about seeing the killers, saw the mechanical hearts in their hands, realizing that this truth is not needed right now, but North surprises him that she even perceives this news coldly.

"Not surprising. Every second person wants to get rid of us, and the government will only be happy about it." She shrugs her shoulders, and Markus agrees with her.

The Government and the New Founding Fathers are well aware that the androids, who only got their rights and just completed a peaceful revolution, are unlikely to take part and take to the streets of Detroit to Purge. They do not have such a need, but people, opponents of legalizing their rights, nationalists, who believe that America should not belong to such creatures, will do it. People who believe that androids do not deserve their workplace, their equal treatment, do not deserve freedom. Therefore, now, having got rid of even a small part of the population, they will benefit. The government always remains the winner. 

"Maybe we should also participate?" North says thoughtfully, leaning her boot into the glove compartment door and tapping her knee with her fingers. "It's the Purge Night, Markus. There are no rules, everything is legal."

"This does not mean that we have to do this."

Markus does not want to argue with her and to raise this very slippery topic. Instead of this conversation, he thinks about contacting Josh and warning him that they have two turns left and they will be there.

"Stop! Slow down!" North grabs his sleeve, pulls him to turn in her direction and to looks out the window. On her side of the street, a company of seven young masked men drags people into their old white van. "Let them go, we do not need trouble."

Markus nods and extinguishes the lights. He observes what is happening, leaning slightly towards the steering wheel and grasping the gun in his hand. He watches as two guys in masks drag the girl into the van, notably putting her head against the car door. The blood on her forehead speaks of her being a human being. Perhaps, if it was an android, Markus would have intervened. Now he is being questioned. He wants to help, he can not just sit and look at how someone leads another to death, but he can not afford to intervene too. It's a reckless action, they need to save Josh and they can not risk for the sake of their lives for unknown people.

So Markus covers his eyes for a moment and takes a breath, soothing the vibrating system.

**_"I hope that you are doing well."_ **

Markus tries to contact Connor and while waiting for an answer, he watches as the young boy is driven into the van by a guy who is shot at his feet. A long silence begins to strain Markus, and when he just wants to ask again if everything is fine, Connor responds.

_"This is a very difficult question, given that today the Purge. I'll contact you later, okay? Now is not a good time."_

Maybe, if Markus does not cling so well to Connor's voice, then he would not notice a slight excitement, but he notices it. Maybe he is now also in one of the difficult situations, and Markus does not want to interfere, does not want something to happen to Connor through his fault.

**_"Oh, sure. Be careful."_ **

They go silent and Markus already wants to shut down their connection when he hears a quick response:

_"I'm glad you're okay."_

With these last words the connection breaks off, just as a group of young guys are leaving, hiding in their white van behind the bend. Now they too can go, but Markus still does not hurry to leave this street. He waits for another few minutes before discarding a light worry for Connor, and move on down the street.

"Do you think they noticed us?" North asks.

"Probability of it is small," Markus shrugs. "If they noticed, they might have done something already."

As soon as he finish talking, a white wagon, already familiar to them, was coming straight out of the corner. The group does not take any action, only slowly passes by. Their masks are ridiculous: the plastic, painted with markers and paints, is tangled with neon lights, and as much as Markus did not want to turn away from them, this radiance attracts his attention. Like a moth on the light of a lamp. Bright blue neon color, like a led at Connor's temple. 

"Let's go," North nudges his elbow a little and watches the van closely as it hides behind the corner. "We need to go until they change their mind and come back."

Markus does not argue with her and presses on the gas pedal, wanting to find Josh as soon as possible, and finally return to Jericho, where it's safe.

****

**7:52 PM**

****

**Purge Night**

It is relatively quiet here; as far as one can call a quiet area, where most of the townspeople spend the Purge Night. North holds the gun, peering into the dark streets, and Markus does not say anything to her, because he understands that this is now the best solution. They ride along the Grand River Avenue and brake a few miles from the Josh coordinates indicated.

**_"We are in place. How are you?"_ **

**"I've been better. Is everything ok?"**

Josh sounds joyful with relief in his voice, when Markus says that they got there without an incident.

**_"You can go out, our van right behind the bend."_ **

They finally exhale and wait for the friend to show up, and Josh does not make himself wait, knocking at the window from North's side. He looks fine, only a small scratch on his forehead.

"I thought you would get into some kind of trouble because of me," Josh says, climbing into the van. He drops the bag with a gun on the floor and gives Markus a grateful nod because he came to the rescue. "And then I'll have to blame myself for the fact that the leader of the deviants died trying to get me on the Purge from the center of Detroit."

"Now everything is fine, it's only up to Jericho to get and we ..." North pauses in an instant, when Josh grips her mouth with his hand, and the other pulls the engine off.

**"Truck"**

He says by the connection, noticing the surprised look of heterochromic eyes. Markus looks in the direction where Josh nods, and notices a black truck, slowly passing along the street in front. He does not turn to them, but Markus still notices how closely the driver looks at the windows, looking for his prey. 

"This truck interrupted a gang of thugs here that robbed a store. I do not know exactly how many people are there, but they brought a bunch of people out of that house and shot them. Better to be careful with them." 

"Someone had thoroughly prepared for the Purge,” North shrugs. "Let's go, we can not stay here."

Markus nods, starts the engine, but decides to leave the lights off - there's no need to attract attention now. They move along the same road they’ve come, and while Markus gives back to turn around, North and Josh look around for some movement.

When they turn back to Chrysler freeway and drive along the overpass along Lafayette Park, North frowns. Markus fidgets on the seat, looks in the side mirror, and then looks around at all to be sure. Half a mile away is followed by the already familiar black truck. He flashes headlights, publishes a long beep and turns to the next line, intending to be equal.

"He just wants to drive forward, let him pass Markus." North at point-blank looks at the driver of the truck, but to see it even with its such an ideal optical module comes out with difficulty \- its tinted windows and distance do not allow it to be done.

Markus nods and leads the van to the right, clearing the way for the truck. He also believes that the best is to simply pass the truck. He is not sure that it's worth to anger the one who is behind the wheel, because the opportunity to tear himself away from him on this flyover is very small - there are no turning points, and the first turn will be only two and a half miles.

"No!" Josh shouts out too emotionally, jerks forward and the steering wheel turns sharply to the left, bringing the van back. "He can not overtake us!"

## >> listen to North and get off the road  
>> listen to Josh and do not leave the road.


	4. Be careful

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I completely forgot about this story! But then I again stumbled upon it and was inspired to write a chapter. I hope that someone was waiting for it and this story is still interesting to someone.

**7:56 pm**

**The Purge**

 

North End. The turn on the 2nd street is well lit by lanterns, and their shining does an excellent job of illuminating the next execution on the Purge Night.

In the middle of the road, three people are already lying dead with disfigured faces from a close shot. Their poses seem ridiculous, with raised arms and bent legs, as if one of them was trying to run, and someone was dutifully kneeling, waiting for his fate. The spectacle is not pleasant, but this night there is no other thing.

Right next to the corpses, two young women cry. They kneel in front of the android towering over them and beg him to spare their lives. Connor sees it all from his place in Gelendwagen and does not like what he sees. Women are unarmed, but even if they were armed, they most likely could do little, because the android is determined and there are no doubts in his actions. The LED on his temple is lit red, but does not blink feverishly, but shines smoothly. Women quietly whine, and their appearance suggests that they are not participants. Perhaps they dined with family when the android decided to judge them. Perhaps this is their android, but the probability of this is small.  For all the time that he and Hank are watching what is happening, no one has turned to the android.

"We need to help them," says Connor a little more calmly, even though the pump in the chest increases the stroke. "We still have a chance, and..."

_**I hope you are fine.** _

Markus' voice is disorienting to Connor and he is silent for half a minute before answering. He ignores Hank's slightly surprised look and touches his LED with his finger, rather out of habit than out of necessity.

_This is a very difficult question. I'll contact you later, ok? Now is not a good time._

_**Yes of course. Be careful.** _

He looks at how android reloading shotgun and quickly adds:

_I'm glad you're fine._

To some extent, this gives an impetus to the idea that he really needs to be careful. That on this night it would not hurt to be extremely careful, because there are those who tell him about it. There are Hank and Markus, for whom it is important that he is safe.

But there are also these two women whom no one can help except them. These two women, who someone asked to be careful too. Connor pulls the car door handle, and Hank's grip on his arm tightens, preventing him from moving on. Connor is stronger than him, but he allows the lieutenant to do it, because he understands this situation, and that entire Hank's advantage. This is the fifth Purge, which Hank saw, and it is easy for him to calculate every outcome of the situation that they would see on these streets today. Probably, he already knows how this execution will end.

“You can hardly help here by talking,” says Hank, instead of ordering him to sit in the car.

"What to do ..." looking back at the android, Connor asks a little perplexed, not really needing an answer now, but looking for options.

He also understands that conversations now can lead nowhere, except death. There is the first outcome in which Connor is easy to get a shot in the face. Maybe he, like the woman who was killed a few minutes ago, will fall on the asphalt, and the bio-components and the thirium will flow out of his pierced head. In the second scenario, the android can shoot him into the shoulder if his condition is unstable, and then Connor only will recoils, but stay alive. If he were a human, maybe he would even have been thrown half a mile away, but his balancing is perfectly debugged and he will only retreat a few steps, maybe slightly bending down in phantom pain, which he does not feel, but could feel. Then the percentage that the salvation of these women will be successful will increase. In this case, it will be easier to neutralize the android, even with a wounded shoulder and, possibly, with a disabled hand due to damaged channels and drives.

There is another option that Connor would not like to use, but which will definitely save lives. Neutralize the android without talking to him. Connor can, this is no problem for him: his optical module is perfectly calibrated, the sniper protocol has not been used in the program for a long time, but it still works. The success rate is 89%, if the android does not notice the movement or if there are any other circumstances. And there is an option to do nothing, just watch how the android kills these people and goes to look for the next victim. Connor doesn’t like this scenario at all, and he knows that Hank would not approve of him.

Of two evils Connor choose the lesser, and therefore, no matter how much he wants to talk to the android and convince him that he is making a mistake, he chooses the least evil.

Walter in his hand falls as usual, like a glove, like the continuation of his fingers, and Connor leaves the car silently, but still hearing how quietly Hank roars through his teeth.

And then another shot is heard and another girl falls to the ground. She lands face down and on hers nape there is an ugly hole, from which thick dark blood oozes out. Pieces of brain tissue are tangled in her hair with blood, and Connor, if he were a human, would have considered such a picture to be extremely unpleasant, but he is an android detective and there is nothing new for him, even if crimes are becoming less and less every year.

It does not take long to aim, at most a couple of seconds, and Connor pulls the trigger. The muffled sound of a shot spreads along the street, and the android, towering over its last victim, falls on the asphalt with a small bullet hole in the forehead. Silence hangs for a moment, and while Connor clenches Walter in a holster, the girl comes out of a trance. She cries out, sobs and rebounds from the encirclement of the corpses that cover the asphalt around her.

Hank also leaves the car, nods to Connor, secretly praising a good shot, and leaves their dark shelter around the corner in order to approach the girl.

"Please do not kill me!" her voice is a little hoarse from long crying and, noticing Hank, she moves back, even though he throws up his hands, showing that he is unarmed. She crawls away into a puddle of blood and, as if scalded with boiling water, jumps away from it too.

"What are you doing on the street at such a time?" Hank asks his standard question to see if this girl is worth helping. There are basically two answers to it: a person either judges or finds himself on the street because he was pulled out of the house by force to execute. "Do you have a weapon?"

"No! No! I am not a participant, I..." a girl stained with splashes of blood, in tears and road dust stutters and looks back at the corpses that lie a few steps away from her. “My mother ... He killed my mother.”

"Do you live here?" Hank doesn’t get close to her, no one has canceled the precautions, but he can no longer look at the girl’s lost look at the lifeless body of one of the women. "Will you get home?"

"No, I live in downtown."

"It's far from here." Hank says with a sigh, casually toss: "Around the corner is my car, we will take you home. You can not stay on the street."

They were not going to the city center today, but they cannot leave the frightened girl who had just been saved, alone, so that someone instead of the android would kill her. Connor watches the girl biting her lips, looking at Hank with doubt and confusion. She wipes tears from her cheeks and kneels in front of the corpse of one of the women. Her hands are shaking as she scours her pockets, and Connor thinks that her stress level of 83 percent might make their journey a little more difficult.

When she pulls the keys out of her mother's pocket, Hank escorts her to the car, looking around if someone is watching them. In general, this street is calm and even on the neighboring ones it is not audible that something is happening, so he takes the wheel with a slight sigh.

"This is Connor," Hank casually points out as the girl sits behind. She looks at him with rounded eyes, and her stress level is almost critical when her eyes catch a flashing blue LED.

"He is an android," her whisper is frightened and it seems that she will now jump out of the car and fall directly on the asphalt, trying to run away as far as possible.

"Yes, and he also saved your life," Hank boosted the engine, and Connor easily distinguishes how his tone changes — as if her fears offended him. "Problems?"

In response, he gets nothing and they just silently leave this street, circling the corpses and turning off on 3rd Avenue.

 

 

**8:21pm**

**Purge Night**

 

They drive in silence along 3rd Avenue along the outskirts of Midtown and this road is surprisingly safe. Before the intersections, they, of course, slow down in order not to attract the unwanted attention of gangs, but on the whole no unexpected incidents happen to them.  


Connor silently looks at the passing fields and factories, houses with dead windows and quiet alleys, and the feeling that this part of the area is abandoned does not go away, tightly weaving itself among the pipes and wires. The silence of this street is good for them, but Hank still drives the car wary, peering into every dark alley, until the light of the lanterns falls short.

"What is your name? How did you get on the street?"

Hank asks questions to the quieter girl, and she shudders at his sharp voice. Connor looks at her in the rearview mirror and understands her wary look in his own way perfectly. He is an android and her fear is justified, because it was the android that killed the people whose she loves, right in front of her eyes. Connor is not sure exactly what she feels, but if Hank or Markus were to be executed before his eyes, he...

Connor clutches his palms and hangs for a moment. The picture seems too bright and so believable, because it could well happen today. This is fully legal today, and Connor may not even be able to do anything about it. If Hank dies today, it will be his fault, because he could not protect him, because he was not fast enough for this. Hank is a human, and his life is fragile, which means that it’s worth risking deliberately. And because Connor feels immense relief that Markus is now in Jericho and at least his life is not at risk now.

"My name is Grace." girl says. 

Her voice belatedly, as if she had been remembering all this time how her name sounded, whether it was rolled correctly on her tongue. 

"Android pulled us into the street, that's how I got here. My mother and I were visiting her friend, hoping to wait out the night all together so that it would not be so scary."

She speaks detachedly, as if swallowing words, and watching the road with an empty look, hardly realizing that they are going somewhere.

"This android, was it yours?" Hank is interested, but Connor is not even listening — he already knows the answer, and therefore does not consider it necessary to waste time.

"No, our android left when there was a revolution. Mom let Annie go because she shared the opinion that they do not deserve to be treated like slaves. Annie has never been a slave to us, she was a friend. And now mom is dead. Killed by whom she supported.

Connor turns to Grace, obviously wanting to say something, but without saying a word. The girl again falls into herself, looking detachedly out the window. In the protocol of the negotiator there is a section with instructions on how to conduct a conversation with injured people, but now he makes it clear that interference is unnecessary.

 

**8:34 pm**

**Purge Night**

 

 Connor squeezes his hands in his lap and feels like fear is slowly penetrating his systems. It is not right. Everything that is happening on the streets now is not right, but such is the charter of the New Founding Fathers, these are the rules of the current society, and, to admit, Connor hardly wants to be a part of this society. Who wants this when he sees a group of teenagers from a rich district pursue an old man that hardly can stand on his feet? Who would want to be a part of such a society where children beat an elderly man with bats until he stops moving?

Connor turns away, and his LED changes color to yellow, because he thinks: is it all worth it? Are all the sacrifices they suffered worth all this? Being a machine, Connor did not feel pity, fear and disgust, but now he almost drowns under these feelings. They overfill and cover him with themselves, and, for the first time for their deviation, Connor rationally sees the rot of this world.

They saved someone. This is only the beginning of the night, but they have already saved someone. This is good, because it is for this that they are on the street, because of this they risk their own lives.

Turning to Ledyard Street, they are a little slow down. The annual Purge Party is held here, and the people here are masked, relaxed and soiled in blood. Connor has never been to this kind of fun, but can roughly make a plan for what is happening there. It is possible that drinking and dancing is only a beautiful wrapper in the neon reflections of a stroboscope, but the main dish in these parties is the opportunity to collectively execute someone. It is no secret that for a good price a gang of thugs who judge this night will bring the victim without any questions. He saw a couple of them while he was patrolling the streets; people who throw innocent people into their vans.

Hank slows down when they pass Fisher-Freeway and leave on First Street. They need to turn onto Grand River  Avenue, then to be on Grisward Street, where the girl’s house is, but Hank turns off the engine and tells everyone to sit in silence.

"Why did we stop?" Grace as if comes to life, noticing familiar streets, she moves forward and peers where Anderson points her. And Connor easily notices how dark it is.

A big black truck wraps up on its street and stops right at the intersection. The driver does not do anything, just waiting for something at the traffic lights, which has already managed to change color to green. He could now move and drive past them, but the truck continues to stand still, clearly not intending to leave.

"Who is it?" Grace's voice trembles and she clasps herself with her hands, the blood on which has already managed to dry and unpleasantly tighten the skin. Connor shares the girl’s interest in the truck. Hank taps his fingers on the steering wheel of an SUV and looks at the truck. Connor also looks at him, revealing fairly standard indicators.

The truck is black, quite impressive in size, clearly armored. Driver is not an amateur, perhaps a former military man, but from this distance Connor can say little about him. As for the contents of the body is made of thick sheet steel, painted black.

Connor calculates options for their trip, and in any of them the best option is to avoid this truck.

"Someone is clearly not from a poor area," Hank squeezes his Magnum tightly and turns to the android, with a not very happy face. “Connor, are there other ways? Safe ways?”

"We may return to Fisher Freeway and turn onto Grand River Avenue on the other side, but we will need to turn onto Chrysler overpass to make a U-turn. This detour will take time, plus the Fischer Freeway abounds with participants in the Purge Night, but we will not encounter this truck and the driver will not find us. The likelihood of success is 57%." Connor reports in a even voice, comparing traffic readings with news reports.

"Is there any alternative?"

"We can drive along the John Lodge highway, but for this we need to drive along Grand River Avenue. The probability that the trip will be successful is 54%. We will need to drive right in front of the wagon."

"Hmm, it's fifty-fifty here, that he will follow us,” Hank rubs his beard thoughtfully, and Connor looks down at the dashboard of the SUV. There is no optimal choice, now it can be dangerous everywhere: both on the main highway of the city and here, on the street where this truck stands, which is just waiting to catch the victim in its headlights.

"Why are you so sure that he will attack? Maybe he will not shoot ..." there is no certainty in the girl's voice, but she still asks, as if afraid of remaining in silence.

"They always shoot,” Hank breathes, “if he doesn't shoot, he will go to the ram. It is unlikely that he is now on the street simply because he does not sit at home. He is purging."

“It’s safer not to attract his attention,” adds Connor.

"Yes, but according to you, on John Lodge highway it will be faster, we can take the risk."

"Can't we just wait it out? After all, he will not stand here all night," Grace quietly whines and sticks to the glass, as if, if she presses against it more strongly, she will leak through it.

Connor looks at the wagon; they could remain standing here, hidden in the shadows around the bend in First Street. They could stand and wait, but he cannot calculate when the driver will start the engine and decide to move on. He can not figure out whether the driver wants to turn on the lights, illuminating the street with them and inevitably finding their car. He cannot calculate all these small details, but he has no right to dismiss this opportunity, because the truck can move in half a minute.

Neither option does not fully satisfy Connor, but he need to make a choice, so he purses his lips a little. The LED on his temple flashes deep gold and suddenly most of all now he wants to contact Markus, to know about how things are in Jericho, because the last time they could hardly communicate. He just wants to get in touch with Markus and not feel the guilty that flood him if the decision he makes is wrong and leads them all to a sad end.

## >> turn to Fisher Freeway, making a big detour and losing a lot of time, but remaining invisible to the truck

## >> drive along Grand River Avenue, right in front of the truck, and take the John Lodge highway. Fast track, but risky

## >> stay wait until the truck leaves.

**Author's Note:**

> do not forget to make a choice, otherwise I can not continue to write!  
> every choice you make will affect the characters, so be careful! love you!  
> let me know what choice you made in the comments!


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